Improvement in apparatus foe drying lumber



H. P. JOHNSN.

Lumber Drier. l

` N. 66,594 Patented July 9, 1867.

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@uitrit l gieten @anni @fitta RICHARD P. JOHNSON, OF WABASH, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ELI J. SUMNER, 0F SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 66,594, dated July 9, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS POR DRYING LUMBRE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be' it"known that I, RICHARn I). JOHNSON, of Wabash, Wabash county, Indiana, have invented a new and improved Apparatus for Drying Lumber; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,iand exact description thereof, which' will enable others'skilled in thev art to make and use the same, reference being had l to the accompanying drawings, forming 'part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved apparatus for drying lumber, the plane of section being indicated by the line ma, fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, the plane of section being indicated by the line y y, fig. 1. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of thc same, the plane of section being indicated by the line z e, Eg. 1. Figure 4-is a similar vierv, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line a: tu', lig. 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view, the plane of section being indicated by the line y y', fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference. indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus wherein wood of any description, whether split into lumber or not, may be steamed and dried', so as to be thoroughly scasoned.

'lho invention consists in drying steamed lumber in a close' chamber by passing the products of combustion directly into such chamber among the lumber', from a flue passing underneath the dry-house its entire length, and in providing tubes for the admission of cold air into said flue, by which a partial vacuum is produced'in the drying-chamber and the current of hot air accelerated. l

The floor of the building in which the apparatus is set up is provided, with rails, so that the lumber on the trucks is passed into one end of the building and steamed. Thence it is brought into the drying-bhambenthe floor of which is inclined, so that the trucks standingA4 therein Vwill be moved down automatically as thefront truck is movedl out offlthe drying-room. The lumber can thus be brought. to market on the same trueks'cn which it was first loaded, having been steamed and dried without having been'unloaded from the'truclis.

A represents awooden building, placed upon suitable foundations', andprovided with double side WallsB B, as shown in 'igs 2,-` 3, and 4, for the purpose of better retaining the heat. Below one end of this building, .and embedded in the ground if desired, is a furnace, C, built of brick or other suitable material, and having a sheetmetal or other metal cover a, that is provided with turned edges b b, as shown in figs. 1 and 4, to serve as a pan for holding water. i One or more horizontal ues D, made of brick` or metal, are arranged Abelow the building, and are embedded in the ground, and extend from the furnace C to the other end of the building. They convey the products of combustion from the furnace to the opposite end of the building A, Where the same enter the building through the meshes of wire-netting Walls E E, arranged across the building, across the dues D, so as to arrest and prevent the sparks from entering the building. Upon the floor of the 'building are placed one or more pair of rails F, extending from one end of the building to the other, as shown in figs. 1 and 2, andv even extending over the pan a b. Water is brought into the pan a Zi through a pipe, c, whichis connected with a barrel or vessel,lG, containing water. Y

The lumber to be dried is loaded upon trucks HH, andbrought to that end of the building A under which the furnace is arranged.' The trucks are then brought` into the building, over the pan a b. The front doors I are then closed, and that part of the building in which- 4the pan a b is contained is separated from the rest of the building by means of sliding doors L L. The water in the pan is evaporated by the heat from the furnace below, andthe lumber on the truck, that standsubove the pan, is thoroughly steamed..

When the steaming is'eompleted, the doors L L are opened, and the trucks moved forward into the drying= room by simply bringing another truck-full of lumber into the steaming-room. In the dryingnroom, the rails are laid slightly inclined, as shown in iig. 1, so that the cars therein WillV move forward of theiirown accord. The heatedair and products of `combustion from the furnace enter at the lower end of the drying-chamber, and dry the lumber on that truck which-is at the extreme end of the building, as that stands directly above, or nearly so, the discharge of heat from the flue D, as shown in fig. 8. The truck is theny moved out of the building, and the other trucks move down, and so a continuous string of trucks is being operated upon, and a large quantity of wood can thus be dried.

The heat in the drying-chamber passes ntothe front part of the. same, and near to the doors L; it passes out of the building through the chimneys M, in which' dampersor registers f are' arranged to regulate theV escape` ofthe hot air. N N are two funnel-shaped tubes, to-conduct a suitable'quantity of fresh :ar into the flue D, when required, so as to prevent the overheating of the air in the said flue, and to increase thedrauglrt through such Hue'v -and throughY the drying-chamber to the chimneys M'. The trucks are, of course,

built in such a manner that the' air can pass freely through thel same into thelumber.v When it is found impracticable to let the trucks'out of the lower end of the building, but when they have to be'dischargcd through the sides, it is necessary to have the lower or more forward part F', which is further from the steampan ofthe rails F, mounted upon trucks O, which are placed upon cross-rails l?, that are continued at the outside' of thebulding, as shown-in figs. 1', 2, and 5. Asl the lumber onthe lower'car is dried, stops g, igs. 1 and 2, are placed between the car and the next tgjrtFsmns to prevent the'line'of cars`from--moving ahead when the last car is removed. The dooArsR at the side of the building are then opened and the truck O moved out on the track P, the last car, standing' on the car O, on the outside of the car H, can be taken down -from the car O, and the latter is moved back again into the building; the stops arethen removed to let the `whole row of cars H move forwardagain, a' new car is brought into the steaming-chamber, and the process of steaming and heating is then gone on with as before. A similar` arrangement for a cross-trackiwith trucks 0, may be'used for charging the steaming-chamber, as is indicated by red lines in figs. 1 and 2. v

By this invention green lumber may be put into the building continuously, and drylumber removed therefrom continuously,without slacking 'the lire or delaying the drying process of the lumber that remains in the kiln. Lumber is more equallyuand thoroughly dried, and inlss time, than 'by any process heretoforeused or known, and a great saving in fuel, time, and labor is consequently secured by the process.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- .1.' The combination and arrangement of the furnace C, ue D, and perforatodplates E, by which the products of combustionA are discharged directly into the chamber A among the lumber, being driven through such chamber and discharged through the chimneys M, as herein described, for the-purpose specified. y

` 21. The tubes N, arranged in lrelation with the ue D, whereby the draught through the chamber A is accelerated, as herein set forth for the purpose specified. v I

\ RICHARD P. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

WM. F. MeNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

